Ireland’s two large centre-right parties are set to begin their search for a coalition partner this week after Friday’s election left them just two seats short of the 88 needed to govern, a choice that will help determine their policy platform.
Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, who between them have led every government since the foundation of the state almost a century ago, bucked a global trend of voters rejecting incumbents when they won 48 and 38 seats respectively after receiving a broadly similar number of votes as the last election in 2020.
After outgoing junior coalition partner the Greens lost all but one of its seats, the choice is between one of Ireland’s smaller left-leaning parties or a number of more conservative independent lawmakers.
“There is certainly the possibility for this additional partner to have an outsize impact on the ideological direction,” said Theresa Reidy, senior lecturer in politics at University College Cork.
Deals would likely be needed with at least six independents to form a comfortable working majority.